It's just a color
by Mateko
Summary: What really matters is the inside. Your heart is what really makes your life worth it. Please don't forget about this. I'll patiently wait until that time I will finally be able to see you again. Thanks for protecting my heart and my life. I owe you everything. Farewell, my dear.


**This story is an attempt to try a new style, my wish to experiment new things. Warning this short story it's 100% OC based, it's 1 chapter long, but I may think to add a second chapter, it's small so please give it a shot I really want to hear what you guys think of this. Dark themes are mentioned and discussed in this.**

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In a village of crocodiles lived a young black female crocodile. She was beautiful, something rare and unique you'd never find anywhere else. That crocodile was good and pure, her personality and her look soon created envy and hate among the villagers.

"She's different! She's a mistake! Isn't it weird that she's the only black crocodile? Someone probably sent her here to kill us all!"

Lies spread everywhere, friends and family started to isolate her, soon the lie became the truth.

She knew. She knew that she needed to be careful, otherwise they would have killed her.

The crocodile decided to build a house outside the village, hidden in the forest, a safe place where nobody could have touched her.

She wasn't strong nor a fighter, but she knew a few things about survival. One problem remained. She wasn't able to find food on her own, that's why she never went too far from her village. The reptile walked back and forth from her house to the village just to buy some food.

It wasn't enough. She tried to dress herself up enough to cover her skin, but it wasn't enough.

Coming back to the village was a mistake.

The people decided that it was time to end this. To stop her before it was too late. They didn't want her to have a family, to give birth to more black mistakes.

The village ambushed her one day, when her guard was lower than usual.

Everyone surrounded her and tried to end her life.

That day someone stepped in. It was a stranger. A crocodile, but someone who didn't live there, a traveler.

"Get out of our way, otherwise we will kill you too. She must die."

The crocodile didn't answer and fought back some villagers that tried to attack directly the innocent female.

He pushed them back, wounded few and the crowd complained.

"Who are you?! You have no right to interfere."

"And you have no right to claim an innocent life, you disgusting murderers."

The villagers couldn't kill her. The green crocodile, that didn't see her different from him, saved the black crocodile.

She brought him to her house. They talked for a while.

"I don't understand. Why won't you leave?"

"... because this is my home. My family, my friends are still here."

"They didn't oppose to this. They're nothing!"

"They are scared! Just like me… I understand them, they still love me, I know that."

The black crocodile was right. Her door suddenly knocked and outside appeared her family. They were ashamed of what happened and now that they've seen this, they realized how wrong this is and they were willing to help.

"You'll be safe as long as you'll stay in this house. Don't worry about the food. We will bring you something every day. We will take care of you…"

The black crocodile was so happy, but the green one didn't believe them. It felt like a simple act.

"Do you mind if I'll stay here with you? I'll help you rebuild that life they tried to take away from you, if you wish."

The black crocodile was joyous to hear that. Being alone all the time was the only thing that bothered her.

Time passed. Days turned into weeks that became months. Everything was going alright. The black crocodile lived peaceful in her house and his family kept bringing food. The green crocodile started to believe they were truly sorry for what they've done and decided it was now time to leave.

"I'm sure that now you'll be fine on your own."

But she didn't want him to leave.

"No, please… don't go."

When she heard that she finally realized the truth.

"I fell in love with you. Will you… stay with me?"

The green crocodile felt the same, but his heart also longed for something else.

"I wanted to see the world, train and become stronger, but… I discovered something important as well."

The green crocodile stayed for a while and soon the lonely couple grew. He decided to stay a little longer, just to see his cubs, just to see if they were going to be as beautiful as her wife, black like her wife.

Nine beautiful cubs were born. Five black crocodiles, two green crocodiles and one… very special.

One of their cubs switched color to the most brilliant green to the darkest and deepest black based on his emotions and feelings. It was a miracle, a gift for the world.

More people required more food. Her family started to show some trouble. What they were able to bring wasn't enough, but she never complained. She preferred to not eat if that meant feeding her family. The smiles and the happiness of her cubs was the only thing she wished for.

He knew that. He saw that beautiful creature turning weaker, older and slimmer.

One night he left the house and robbed the village. Once, twice, thrice, he never stopped. What mattered was her wife, her smile and her well being.

The village became aware of this and let some guards outside to spot who the criminal was. They saw everything. They saw the green crocodile, their house and where they lived, but… they couldn't do anything to stop this.

"This is going too far. We work hard every day to feed our people, he can't do whatever he pleases…"

"This is happening because of what we did. Is this a punishment?"

"He must leave."

The village started to create their awful trap. Investigated on him and discovered a weak spot. The green crocodiles constantly asks her to travel with him, to take everything and leave because he misses his old life.

Night after night the villagers started to leave objects that reminded him of his past next to the food he usually takes.

The nostalgic feeling the green crocodile had in his heart wasn't strong enough to push him to leave.

They didn't give up. They wanted him gone and no matter how much time it would take they will achieve their goal.

The months turned into years and the green crocodile's heart became weaker and weaker. His soul screamed, his body shivered, he wanted to leave.

"Tomorrow we will leave."

"What are you talking about? I told you already countless times that I can't leave."

"That's a lie. You don't want to leave and you're forcing everyone here."

"I'm not forcing anyone… what are you saying? Is something wrong?"

"I miss my old life. I always wanted to keep traveling and I thought that over time you would accept it. Our cubs grow up, they're kids, we can do this. Let's leave this place, let's build our life somewhere else."

"... I don't want to. I'm sorry."

"Why? Why would you do this?"

"I know, I know you think this is stupid, but… this is where I lived my entire life."

"If you don't leave with me tomorrow I'll leave on my own…"

"What about our kids? They need you."

"I can't take care of nine kids on my own. If you were with me though… I would."

The green crocodile left the house that night, leaving her wife alone, in tears.

He gave her half of his life and she didn't even try to cherish that gift.

The black crocodile looked for her husband everywhere, she wanted to talk to him so badly, she still loved him, but something inside her heart still dragged her back to that place filled with hate.

"I'm sorry I forced you to stay with me, I didn't mean to, I'm sorry, forgive me."

"I love you. You didn't force me, but there's more I want in my life and…"

"Will you come back? No matter what you'll do I'll be waiting for you."

"I see… that means you won't follow me."

The green crocodile kissed her one last time and left. He didn't say yes or no, but she didn't care, her love won't die.

The next night the food nor the usual nostalgic reminder were stolen, that was the first sign for the village that their plan, long waited, finally succeeded.

In the next days the villagers gathered themselves again and decided to wait, like last time, until the black crocodile will show up to get some food.

Nothing happened. The black crocodile never showed up. The crocodiles decided that it was time to go to her house and burn everything up, with her inside.

In the middle of the night a small fire was lighted and the house was slowly embraced by that flame.

When the black crocodile noticed it was too late. She couldn't save all of her kids and two black crocodiles died in the fire.

"This is all my fault. Everything's happening because I'm still alive, my desire to have a family… I gave birth to beautiful children and now they will all die because of me and my selfish desires."

The black crocodile cried, hugging the corpses of her dead children. Her family wanted to save and protect what was still alive.

"I don't want you to die, find your husband and leave this place. We will take care of your kids, we will hide them until they're old enough to take care of themselves."

"They won't stop until I die, that's the truth. They don't know how many children I have so if I die, carrying these two I will probably stop them from claiming more lives."

She decided to ensure a future to the children she nurtured with her kind heart. She lived long enough, her life was great and amazing, it was time for her to give them space.

The next day the black crocodile walked in the middle of the village with her dead cubs.

Screams, tears, her voice raised up. She didn't want to go down until their hate changed into fear. Her death must satisfy them, her act must convince them that those were her only cubs, they must feel remorse, guilt… this should never happen again.

The black crocodile put her own life on the line this time, but it wasn't enough. Some crocodiles stepped further, weapons in hand, willing to shut her down for good. They waited years to taste this moment and nothing was going to stop them.

Silence. The first time this happened it was different. Her beloved husband was gone, nobody was going to stop this, but, at the same time, it felt different. The crocodiles in the back weren't shouting against her, they weren't pushing the others to kill her.

Total silence.

"KILL ME. THAT'S WHAT YOU ALL WANTED RIGHT?! I'M HERE, END MY MISERABLE LIFE. EVERYTHING I WANTED WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM ME. I JUST WISHED TO LIVE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, WAS THAT WRONG OF ME? DID I… DESERVE THIS?"

Her voice echoed through the village, until the floor was painted with blood.

"... what did you do…"

Stabbed by a fork, the crocodile fell.

"Is this what we really wanted?"

More screams and shouts filled the village. Her death brought change, an unfair destiny, some lives paid that price.

The crocodiles decided that she deserved a proper farewell and took the body with them.

It was then that they realized their mistakes. The black crocodile, in her last attempt to protect what she cared for shielded her own dead children from the fork, resulting in a deadly wound on her torso.

Her face didn't show any pain. She left the mortal realm with a beautiful smile.


End file.
